2012 Maruti Ritz VDI - Our new family workhorse! **EDIT: Now sold!**

This is a discussion on 2012 Maruti Ritz VDI - Our new family workhorse! **EDIT: Now sold!** within Test-Drives & Initial Ownership Reports, part of the Team-BHP Reviews category; Congrats Avi on your 'sylver' and welcome to the Ritz DDiS club of tbhp. It is a great ''Fill it ...

Congrats Avi on your 'sylver' and welcome to the Ritz DDiS club of tbhp. It is a great ''Fill it Shut it and forget it car" .
Even though I am not a big fan of the new nose,I love the grey colour fabric trims .Always better than those horrendous red interiors.You and your dad will enjoy driving her around inside the town and on highways.My dad enjoys the car thoroughly and the engine feels freshand butter smooth even after 3.5 years of ownership.Take a look at my long term review of ritzy http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...7-500-kms.html.
All the best and Drive Safe.
Sreehari

I am another person who went from the Esteem to the Ritz. The Esteem is simply unforgetable. I miss that slight madness of the Esteem - wonderful machine.

Good to see the following changes being provided in the Ritz now:
- MiD: this is really boon for those who have struggled with the digital fuel guage of this car. Without the MiD, many times you are left guessing the range left. After getting used to it, you realize that the car is pretty fuel efficient.
- Rear spoiler: Makes the controversial backside of the Ritz look a little more straighter and not so "hit from behind" looking.
- Alpine HU: If Maruti is providing Alpine now I'd say its definitely a step up. The Kenwood OEM HU on my Ritz is plain average.

Stuff you realize with time:
- This feels like an SUV, the height gives you a lot of confidence. When I drove the Duster, I felt I was sitting only slightly higher than the Ritz.
- The booming sound that the large dome like roof creates when you go over rough patches of road at speeds over 30kmpl.
- The litle box on the dashboard above the AC vents is all you really use to dump everything from CDs, toll booth tickets, parking tickets etc.
- The blind spot on the right side of the steering wheel due to the thick A-pillar.
- The back of the Ritz is actually straight. It looks dented inwards due to the tail lamps.
- The central locking is simple and really nice as it autolocks after 15kmph.
- Take a speed breaker at an angle and the Ritz does a little dance and people seated behind will be like "earthquake!".
- Going reverse requires some getting used to. Since it feels bigger inside then it actually is. There is an area around the rear fender that is not visible when backing up.
- Because its a tall boy design, when you go long distance and drive for many hours, you realize that a center armrest would have been really nice. Your knees will feel a bit of strain till you figure out the correct driving position which might not be the same as the one you had for city rides.
- The little armrest on the door is not great for long distance driving. A larger one would have been nice.
- To stop keeping a count of the number of times you get asked "Why Ritz? Why did you not buy Swift??".

On a lighter note, the Ritz is like Rahul Dravid - quite, consistent and media shy. The Swift is like Dhoni - bold, aggresive and extrovert. Both play for the same team with varying roles, with the same bat .

The only thing that i find as a gross omission is the absence of ABS and Airbags. Drive anywhere in India and you must have these on every vehicle.

Yes, one of the glaring omissions by many car manufacturers on their cars, even the premium ones. At least they should be standard in the mid-variants at least, since they are the ones which sell the most. I can't wait for someone to pass a new law making ABS + Airbags mandatory for all cars in our country. Hopefully soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shk 8896

Congrats Avi on your 'sylver' and welcome to the Ritz DDiS club of tbhp. It is a great ''Fill it Shut it and forget it car" .
Even though I am not a big fan of the new nose,I love the grey colour fabric trims .Always better than those horrendous red interiors.You and your dad will enjoy driving her around inside the town and on highways.My dad enjoys the car thoroughly and the engine feels freshand butter smooth even after 3.5 years of ownership.Take a look at my long term review of ritzy http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...7-500-kms.html.
All the best and Drive Safe.
Sreehari

Thank you, Sreehari my friend. I am already feeling the effects of filling it and forgetting it! The FE achieved till now is exemplary. More on that in a bit.

Yes, the new front gives off the impression of being very low-slung. Prospective new Ritz buyers might think that it will scrape the pavement during parking, or a steep incline. You won't be wrong to think that, guys. The front is slung lower than the pre-facelifted Ritz. A word of caution when you pull into the nearest curb to park your facelifted Ritz - don't go too close. Thankfully it's a short car so it can fit into the designated parking space snugly.

Will check your thread out in a minute. Thank you for sharing the link!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Lord

@RavenAvi - a superb review!

I am another person who went from the Esteem to the Ritz. The Esteem is simply unforgetable. I miss that slight madness of the Esteem - wonderful machine.

Thank you, Earth Lord. It's great to know that someone else went through a similar experience and can relate to us. Oh yes, nothing could beat the power of the Esteem back in it's day!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Lord

- MiD: this is really boon for those who have struggled with the digital fuel guage of this car. Without the MiD, many times you are left guessing the range left. After getting used to it, you realize that the car is pretty fuel efficient.

I am discovering the merits of the MID! Will post that in a bit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Lord

- Rear spoiler: Makes the controversial backside of the Ritz look a little more straighter and not so "hit from behind" looking.

Yes, the spoiler gives the rear a touch of sophistication. My grouse still remains with the design of the "boomerang" tail lights. Maruti should have taken a design cue and modified it a bit for the 2012 facelift - and they went lazy and left it untouched! Their design engineers need a strong pinching.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Lord

- Alpine HU: If Maruti is providing Alpine now I'd say its definitely a step up. The Kenwood OEM HU on my Ritz is plain average.

The Alpine HU is a certified MGA fitment. It is a 1-DIN HU but designed in a manner in which it's a straight 2-DIN dash fit, and looks OEM. I am told that the facelifted Swift, DZire and Ritz all carry the Alpine HU in their top variants - the ZXis and the ZDis. Others can clarify on this. It has a very decent sound output, and if you are not a passionate audiophile then the sound quality is superb.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Lord

Stuff you realize with time:
- This feels like an SUV, the height gives you a lot of confidence. When I drove the Duster, I felt I was sitting only slightly higher than the Ritz.

I am already feeling it! I am pretty tall already at 6'0" and I feel I am standing on the road when I am inside the Ritz! Superb view of the road ahead, just like a mini-SUV.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Lord

- The booming sound that the large dome like roof creates when you go over rough patches of road at speeds over 30kmpl.

Haven't experienced it yet. I am very sedate when crossing a speed breaker or a rough patch and slow down the car considerably, so maybe that's the reason why. Let me take it out for a highway run to experience it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Lord

- The litle box on the dashboard above the AC vents is all you really use to dump everything from CDs, toll booth tickets, parking tickets etc.

It's pretty useful to have it, I admit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Lord

- The blind spot on the right side of the steering wheel due to the thick A-pillar.

Similar to my Silver Pegasus (Honda City). I am more worried about the rear visibility due to those ultra-thick C-pillars and that ridiculously small IRVM. Every time I am backing up, I over-calculate the rear because the cabin's roominess and space makes me feel I am backing up my City!
"It's the smaller car," I keep reminding myself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Lord

- The back of the Ritz is actually straight. It looks dented inwards due to the tail lamps.

Yes, like I compared it to the pre-facelifted Santro in one of my previous posts, the back is straight when viewed from the side. The protruding central point of the "boomerang" tail light is the culprit, for making the rear look disproportionate. If only the MSIL engineers did something about this for the facelift!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Lord

- The central locking is simple and really nice as it autolocks after 15kmph.

Haven't noticed the auto-locking yet. Maybe it's not present in the VDI? Need to get that checked.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Lord

- Take a speed breaker at an angle and the Ritz does a little dance and people seated behind will be like "earthquake!".

LOL! First thing I am going to do tomorrow morning!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Lord

- Going reverse requires some getting used to. Since it feels bigger inside then it actually is. There is an area around the rear fender that is not visible when backing up.

And the rear bumper is much thicker than conventional rear bumpers. Reverse sensors are a must for this car. More advisable would be a reverse camera, mounted in the middle of the rear bumper.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Lord

- Because its a tall boy design, when you go long distance and drive for many hours, you realize that a center armrest would have been really nice. Your knees will feel a bit of strain till you figure out the correct driving position which might not be the same as the one you had for city rides.

The steering does have rake adjustment so it's easier to adjust equally for both Dad and myself (Dad prefers it a bit lower and I prefer it higher). The seat adjustment is also used very frequently (Dad drives with his chest quite close to the steering wheel, I drive with a very laid-back style, considering my height and slight lankiness).
No long drives done yet, but I am sure one is coming up pretty soon.
No problems with the knees yet. My left knee rests against the central console and right knee is against the driver door. The pedal area is adequate but the lack of a dead pedal is sorely felt. MSIL hasn't provided any space for even a fake dead pedal either!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Lord

- The little armrest on the door is not great for long distance driving. A larger one would have been nice.

I never use it. My right hand is usually the dominant hand when I am driving. But yes, the armrest consoles on all doors are quite small and not at all good enough for long journeys.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Lord

- To stop keeping a count of the number of times you get asked "Why Ritz? Why did you not buy Swift??".

Ha ha! Tell us about it! Would you believe it, the questions STILL haven't stopped coming!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Lord

On a lighter note, the Ritz is like Rahul Dravid - quite, consistent and media shy. The Swift is like Dhoni - bold, aggresive and extrovert. Both play for the same team with varying roles, with the same bat.

What - a - comparison!

But, as much as we all love to see Dhoni bat or address the spotlight in his unique style, it's Dravid's ultimate slickness, rock-solid bulletproof reliability and the feeling of solidity which proves to be more useful in the end (like we needed one today itself in the 2nd OD against Pakistan).

Given a choice, I would go for Dravid anyday (no offence to Dhoni or Swift lovers, I love him as well!), just for that feeling of security alone.

Thank you, Earth Lord. All wonderful, valid points given by you. I can't wait to experience a few of them myself!

----------------------------------------

Sylver crossed 250 kms on the ODO yesterday evening, all in-city driving. That's inside 9 days of ownership, which is an average of around 28 kms per day till now. Not surprising, since I prefer her for all the in-city runs for home jobs, and occasionally taking her to office as well.

Have a look at the FE achieved till now.

That translates to ~18 kmpl! Astounding, isn't it!

That's with me using the AC 100% of the time too. I am sure Dad doesn't use it when he's driving, but given a ratio of all driving done till now, I would say Dad has driven 50-75 kms in Sylver till now, and all the rest was done by me.

A few observations so far:-

- The steering is definitely heavy, heavier than a normal EPS. Whether it is due to the oil burner or the engineers doing some tweaking to the facelift's steering, I have no idea. But the steering sometimes feels as heavy as a semi-hydraulic unit, although it is effortless to use. It pretty much weighs the same at all speeds, even at 60-65 kph it's the same. Compared to this, the steering of my Silver Pegasus feels ultra-light and smooth as butter.

- The lag in the first two gears is noticeable, specially in 2nd gear till around 1200 rpm, after which it picks up nicely. Cross 2000 RPM on 2nd gear and feel the "whoosh!" The Ritz surges forward like a race horse gunning for the finish line during the final lap. Addictive as hell! It takes an effort for my inner self to restrain myself from these "whoosh!" experiences.

- The view of the road ahead is outstanding. The car is short and has a nice turn radius so you don't need to worry about scraping your neighboring car when easing out of the parking spots. And yes, the turn radius is very, very useful in tight roads.

- The rear visibility is abysmal, specially during reversing. I am definitely on the lookout for a wider day/night IRVM. Till then, I prefer to keep the rear head restraints fully down for that slight more visibility of the road behind me.

- Braking is adequate. You won't feel the immediate need for ABS if you are a moderate driver like me. But yes, for those who consistently touch 60 kmph and above in city roads, the ABS is a must.

- Unlike my City, you have to keep the accelerator pressed to keep the engine on the boil. Don't expect the Ritz to be zippy in lower RPMs. Cross 1500 RPM on any gear and see it fly! Although, the Figo takes the cake here for sheer driveability. I rate the Ritz second to it.

- Body roll is almost minimal up front. Haven't driven with rear passengers yet so can't comment on how it fares in the rear but I have done a few hard corners till now and I pretty much stayed planted in the driver's seat. This, without using the seat belts. The seat belts pretty much glue you to your seat. Very effective, even though they lack height adjustment.

- Boot space is more than enough. I hauled up 4 huge shopping bags during one of my runs and the boot space swallowed them up, even leaving some space on either side to take 2 more!

- Glad I didn't go for the parcel tray. It's the biggest culprit for starting rattles, plus most people use theirs to fit oval speakers for their music. With that sizeable boot and minimum outstation/highway runs, the parcel tray won't be necessary to us anyway.

- Going to fit 2 more small accessories in Sylver - a MGA reading lamp for the rear (which can double as a boot lamp as well, because it comes with a flexible neck), and the steel door sill plates. Marutis are usually prone to door-rattles and the wafer-thin plastic door sill guards given as OEM don't look like they will last the distance. This way the doors get a bit more security and yes, they have considerable flaunt value too, since they come with a nice "RITZ" embossed on them. (not illuminated like the City's, though)

hey avinash, great choice. I own a Ritz VDI ABS 2009 model and have done 90000kms so far. its a great city run about and i have used it extensively on the high way too. Mark my words, in 6 months you will be using the RITZ more and more and your dad may end up using the city!

- The lag in the first two gears is noticeable, specially in 2nd gear till around 1200 rpm, after which it picks up nicely. Cross 2000 RPM on 2nd gear and feel the "whoosh!" The Ritz surges forward like a race horse gunning for the finish line during the final lap. Addictive as hell! It takes an effort for my inner self to restrain myself from these "whoosh!" experiences.

-

welcome to the diesel heads club. i used to be impressed by petrol cars in US until i retuned to India and drove the turbo diesel Indigo. people used to think i am barking mad.

And the rear bumper is much thicker than conventional rear bumpers. Reverse sensors are a must for this car. More advisable would be a reverse camera, mounted in the middle of the rear bumper.

Sylver crossed 250 kms on the ODO yesterday evening, all in-city driving. That's inside 9 days of ownership, which is an average of around 28 kms per day till now. Not surprising, since I prefer her for all the in-city runs for home jobs, and occasionally taking her to office as well.

That's with me using the AC 100% of the time too. I am sure Dad doesn't use it when he's driving, but given a ratio of all driving done till now, I would say Dad has driven 50-75 kms in Sylver till now, and all the rest was done by me.

The rear visibility is abysmal, specially during reversing. I am definitely on the lookout for a wider day/night IRVM. Till then, I prefer to keep the rear head restraints fully down for that slight more visibility of the road behind me.

Marutis are usually prone to door-rattles and the wafer-thin plastic door sill guards given as OEM don't look like they will last the distance. This way the doors get a bit more security and yes, they have considerable flaunt value too, since they come with a nice "RITZ" embossed on them. (not illuminated like the City's, though)

Nice Observations and valid points Avinash.

A Reverse Camera Sensor is a must for the Ritz. For the same reason, i got it fitted at the showroom itself before taking delivery. Trust me, it helps a lot.

Even i have crossed 250 odd Kms in my new Ritz in 6 days. The FE that the MID is displaying is 16.8 Km/L now. When i took delivery, it was showing 15.5 Km/L and i love it when it keeps on increasing point by point.

You can change the view from L/100 Km to Km/L. You just need to go to that Mode and press the Mode knob for around 3 seconds. It will change to Km/L.
This way, it directly shows the Mileage attained and no need to perform any calculations. I find it easier.

I have still not come to terms on using the Day / Night Rear View Mirror.
If i turn the Knob on the RVM down to the Night Mode, i am unable to view the rear windscreen. Seems like i am going wrong somewhere.

Even i am planning to fit the Steel Door Sill Guards. They look awesome and increase the style quotient of Ritz. I am just worried if they will start vibrating with time.

I tinkered around with the MID of the Ritz VDI and realised that the FE unit was L/100kms, so correctly, 6.3lts/100kms aka 15.8kmpl.

The MID can be set to kmpl also. But as I did that, the info on the existing FE was wiped off. I could not get the data back. However, after that the car ran for only 12kms within the internal lanes of south Kolkata, mostly in 3rd gear. FE was 12kmpl.

The above figures are as per expectation, given the fact that the engine is still a long way from being "driven in". I am taking the car out on the highway a fortnight later for a 300+300 kms long drive (home-town & back).

I have not been able to locate the speed limits for the new engine before it is run-in. Can anybody help me with that? I have been told that I cannot cross 80kmph. IMHO it is in top (5th gear). What about the other gears. My driving sense told me not to exceed 1500rpm on the tachometer in any gear. Currently following that. Don't know right or wrong. Any body please advise.

My M800 has been retained for the astounding FE and its ability to squeeze in tight spots of bumper-to-bumper and fender-to-fender Kolkata office hour traffic. A retired army officer in Kolkata (not on this forum) is getting an FE from his 2001 model M800 (5-speed, 12 valve MPFI) as 18 in city and 22 on highway with AC on.

I really appreciate the way you mention each and every detail in the ownership report and I must say that your ownership threads are highly informative. Rating well deserved Five stars. Enjoyed reading each and every bit of it.

You made a very sensible choice in terms of Ritz VDi.

A Revv friendly Honda City + a diesel hatch back makes a very balanced garage.

Congrats on your new purchase of the Ritz VDI and Excellent write up in detail! I am a proud owner of a Ritz VXi with ABS and am really satisfied with the vehicle. In fact, the story of buying it was almost the same albeit, we traded our Alto for Ritz and we do have an Esteem as well and my Dad has a very emotional support to it and wont sell it though. We also had a look at Polo Comfort Line Petrol and my Dad liked it, but the treatment at VW showroom wasnt good and my Dad decided against it.

Those pics of the car and the panel gaps you have pointed out is very detailed and have seen that in my car as well. Mind you, the build quality of the front Bonnet Lid is appalling when compared to my Dad's Esteem. The only other issues in the Ritz I didnt like is the absence of Cup Holders in the front, near the gear lever or the hand brake and the thick A-pillar which actually restricts visibility and absence of Day Night rear view mirror in my Ritz which is a 2011 model. Otherwise, this car is a pleasure to drive and my petrol car returns 15kmpl on regular use without AC and 19kmpl on highway. Enjoy more miles on your Diesel Ritz and I liked the new front grille.

Congrats RaveAvi! You've got a brilliant practical car for the city drives. I always love the high seating stance and the spaciousness inside the cabin. The Ritz is a practical and a sensible alternative to the Swift and I love the petrol engine for it's superb smoothness and the sure shifting gearbox.

Mark my words, in 6 months you will be using the RITZ more and more and your dad may end up using the city!

Thank you, my friend. I sure hope not!

Quote:

Originally Posted by kpbhatt

welcome to the diesel heads club. i used to be impressed by petrol cars in US until i retuned to India and drove the turbo diesel Indigo. people used to think i am barking mad.

I don't blame them, KP bhai. Even I thought you had gone insane with your Indigo selection! Ha ha! Now I can see why it's so addictive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by abhi3284

A Reverse Camera Sensor is a must for the Ritz. For the same reason, i got it fitted at the showroom itself before taking delivery. Trust me, it helps a lot.

Right now we are not facing any issues backing up (the ORVMs do the job splendidly, unlike the pathetic IRVM) so it's in the simmer, for now. But if the need is felt, we will definitely get the camera fitted. I prefer that over the sensors.

Quote:

Originally Posted by abhi3284

Even i have crossed 250 odd Kms in my new Ritz in 6 days. The FE that the MID is displaying is 16.8 Km/L now. When i took delivery, it was showing 15.5 Km/L and i love it when it keeps on increasing point by point.

You can change the view from L/100 Km to Km/L. You just need to go to that Mode and press the Mode knob for around 3 seconds. It will change to Km/L.
This way, it directly shows the Mileage attained and no need to perform any calculations. I find it easier.

Thank you for that immensely helpful tip. And that's some good mileage you are getting inside the city.

I changed it to km/liter and the figure I saw was astounding - 18.3 kpl! Too good to be true. I forgot to take a pic of it right then and there. Will see what it is showing tomorrow and take a snap of it, if I can.

Quote:

Originally Posted by abhi3284

I have still not come to terms on using the Day / Night Rear View Mirror.
If i turn the Knob on the RVM down to the Night Mode, i am unable to view the rear windscreen. Seems like i am going wrong somewhere.

It's normal.

When you go into Night mode, the IRVM slants slightly downwards and reflects the rear seat, but actually shows you the road behind (the actual view from over the rear head rests). The image is considerably darker so you get the feeling you are staring at the rear seat. Focus a bit more and you can make out the traffic/road behind you. This is more evident (and useful) at night time, specially with the glaring headlights behind you. Trust me, it's a very useful thing to have, specially if you do a lot of night driving.

Quote:

Originally Posted by abhi3284

Even i am planning to fit the Steel Door Sill Guards. They look awesome and increase the style quotient of Ritz. I am just worried if they will start vibrating with time.

They shouldn't. They are fixed pretty tightly and the door helps keep them stuck to the door sill floor. Go for them. All the best!

Quote:

Originally Posted by sauravdc

Yes,

I tinkered around with the MID of the Ritz VDI and realised that the FE unit was L/100kms, so correctly, 6.3lts/100kms aka 15.8kmpl.

The MID can be set to kmpl also. But as I did that, the info on the existing FE was wiped off. I could not get the data back. However, after that the car ran for only 12kms within the internal lanes of south Kolkata, mostly in 3rd gear. FE was 12kmpl.

Hmmm it shouldn't, unless you pressed it for a longer period when the trip meter (either A or B) was showing and it got resetted to zero by accident.

Don't worry about the FE figures or the real-time FE, saurav. Go for the tankful-to-tankful method. That's the best way to calculate the mileage being offered by your car. From a full tank to the moment the "Low Fuel" indicator comes on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sauravdc

The above figures are as per expectation, given the fact that the engine is still a long way from being "driven in". I am taking the car out on the highway a fortnight later for a 300+300 kms long drive (home-town & back).

I have not been able to locate the speed limits for the new engine before it is run-in. Can anybody help me with that? I have been told that I cannot cross 80kmph. IMHO it is in top (5th gear). What about the other gears. My driving sense told me not to exceed 1500rpm on the tachometer in any gear. Currently following that. Don't know right or wrong. Any body please advise.

For running in the engine, follow these simple steps given by Team-BHPian swiftnfurious in one of the Ritz ownership threads :-

Quote:

Simple rule for running in the engine.

First 300 kms - RPM - On and below 2000 [Make sure that you run in the turbo space as well; you should use turbo albeit softly]
300 - 600 km - gear shift @ 2500-3000 rpm [Keep varying the speeds and dont keep it constant for long periods]
600 - 900 km - above 3500 and occasional red lining in first and second gears once the car is warmed up.

My M800 has been retained for the astounding FE and its ability to squeeze in tight spots of bumper-to-bumper and fender-to-fender Kolkata office hour traffic. A retired army officer in Kolkata (not on this forum) is getting an FE from his 2001 model M800 (5-speed, 12 valve MPFI) as 18 in city and 22 on highway with AC on.

That's some out-of-the-world mileage! I am glad you decided to keep your M800 for some more time. All the best!

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Many Congratulations on getting the Maruti Ritz RavenAvi!

I really appreciate the way you mention each and every detail in the ownership report and I must say that your ownership threads are highly informative. Rating well deserved Five stars. Enjoyed reading each and every bit of it.

You made a very sensible choice in terms of Ritz VDi.

A Revv friendly Honda City + a diesel hatch back makes a very balanced garage.

I wish you many years of happy and safe driving!

Thank you so much, BV my friend!

People usually go by either heart or mind. In my case, it was the heart (Pegasus) and in Dad's case, the mind (Ritz).

Now I don't have to worry about all those daily runs bringing in over-inflated fuel bills! The Ritz's fuel meter just refuses to go down!

As aged as they can be, nobody can beat the Dads of the world when it comes to making a sensible, practical decision. I am glad my Dad did as well (although he himself was swayed by matters of the heart by that certain red VW damsel, and thankfully sanity prevailed).

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperKar

Congrats on your new purchase of the Ritz VDI and Excellent write up in detail! I am a proud owner of a Ritz VXi with ABS and am really satisfied with the vehicle. In fact, the story of buying it was almost the same albeit, we traded our Alto for Ritz and we do have an Esteem as well and my Dad has a very emotional support to it and wont sell it though. We also had a look at Polo Comfort Line Petrol and my Dad liked it, but the treatment at VW showroom wasnt good and my Dad decided against it.

Those pics of the car and the panel gaps you have pointed out is very detailed and have seen that in my car as well. Mind you, the build quality of the front Bonnet Lid is appalling when compared to my Dad's Esteem. The only other issues in the Ritz I didnt like is the absence of Cup Holders in the front, near the gear lever or the hand brake and the thick A-pillar which actually restricts visibility and absence of Day Night rear view mirror in my Ritz which is a 2011 model.

Yes, some panel gaps are really huge and uneven. You are left gaping through the gaps. (or should we call them gap"e"s? Get the irony?!)

Build quality of most cars today is atrocious. The wafer-thin sheet metal on the Marutis and Hyundais are a huge turn-off. This is where the Europeans have the Asians beat - the build quality of a Polo, Fabia or a Punto is simply miles ahead of their Korean/Japanese counterparts.
Lack of storage spots is a problem too, specially for the rear passengers who get nothing - no bottle holders, no storage spaces, absolutely nothing except the small zipped sections behind the front seats. Really, how much would it have cost to provide a small (even a 500 ml) bottle holder in the central section behind the handbrake? Or even one small holder on both doors? The MSIL engineers need to do some thinking about this.
A day/night IRVM can be procured separately. Check your nearest accessory store for one - I am sure you will find one to suit you.

Good luck!

Quote:

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

Congrats RaveAvi! You've got a brilliant practical car for the city drives. I always love the high seating stance and the spaciousness inside the cabin. The Ritz is a practical and a sensible alternative to the Swift and I love the petrol engine for it's superb smoothness and the sure shifting gearbox.

Enjoy the new car, but let your dad drive the car too!

Thank you so much, W.A.G.7 my friend.

Yes I was hooked for the first few days, but now I am letting him drive Sylver a bit more, while I returned to my Pegasus! You were right on the money!

Thank you so much for the good wishes and support, guys. I kept passing your messages to Dad till day before yesterday, that's when I gave him the URL to this thread so that he could check it out himself and all your feedback/wishes through his laptop. He told me he was pleased, and glad he made the correct choice.

I'm glad my sense was right. I usually touched 1500 rpm and sometimes (especially in 2nd gear) touched 2000 rpm before up-shifting. I know now what to do for the coming kms.

Now the ODO reads 267. Yesterday I drove 100 kms in Kolkata. Used less congested roads like EM Byepass, Rajarhat, VIP, Belgharia Expressway and back via the same route, plus some internal driving on bye lanes in 2nd & 3rd gears only.

FE achieved over the last 112 kms is 20.8kmpl on the MID.

I did reset both the trip meters while tinkering. Now I know why I lost the earlier FE figures. Also located the dynamic FE mode while driving yesterday. Lowest I could see was 5.5 and the highest 30.0.

One question -- is it advisable to take the car out on a 300+300 kms drive to my hometown & back next week?
The road is a 4-laned butter smooth surface where you seldom need to vary speed and change gears. You cannot unnecessarily speed-up and slow down, as well. It is a constant speed glide for most of the distance.
The reason for asking the question is the varying rpm-s suggested in your quoted reply for 0-300, 300-600, 600-900 & 900-1000 kms.
Expectedly, the ODO will read 300 when I start for my hometown. It will be 600 when I reach my hometown. It will be 900 when I return back to Kolkata.

-One question -- is it advisable to take the car out on a 300+300 kms drive to my hometown & back next week?-

Hi sauravdc it is absolutely safe to take your car for the 600km return trip to your hometown. Just do ensure that you don't cross 2500rpm during the journey as your car is still under run-in according to the kms racked up. Taking the car occassionally to 2500rpm is perfectly fine as it allows for the bedding of the rings in the piston even in a pre run-in from factory engine. Also do ensure that on the highway you do vary your driving speed a little bit at a time. That ensures that the engine will remain healthy. And on return since your car will be already covering close to 1000kms do get your first service done at a good and reputed MASS. Keep the tyre pressure just 1psi below recommended pressures if you follow that tyre pressure scale but don't underfill it by 2-3psi or overfill it by the same amount. These advises are based on the fact that you will be travelling on the highway. Have a nice journey ahead.

-One question -- is it advisable to take the car out on a 300+300 kms drive to my hometown & back next week?-

Subhra.

Sorry to reply on your thread!

Mate, you can go on a 1000 mile trip with no issues. This engine is built to last. Just drive normally as you would any other car. When I bought my Ertiga I drove it on the ghats to Ooty when it was just 600 kms young. The Multijet is built to last!

I'm glad my sense was right. I usually touched 1500 rpm and sometimes (especially in 2nd gear) touched 2000 rpm before up-shifting. I know now what to do for the coming kms.

...

FE achieved over the last 112 kms is 20.8kmpl on the MID.

Excellent. You are quite welcome!

And that's some super FE you are getting! I still advise calculation by the tankful-to-tankful method, that's the most accurate way of getting the exact FE of your car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sauravdc

One question -- is it advisable to take the car out on a 300+300 kms drive to my hometown & back next week?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sauravdc

Expectedly, the ODO will read 300 when I start for my hometown. It will be 600 when I reach my hometown. It will be 900 when I return back to Kolkata.

Please advise.

Yes, you can take your car out for a long distance trip, no problem at all. The Ritz is as good a highway cruiser as any other car out there, my friend. It is as powerful as the Swift, because both share the same engine with completely identical specs. It's performance on the highway will surprise you.

Just remember to vary your speeds a bit and don't over-speed your car too much. Redlining the RPMs is also not advised. Keep the engine in the boil zone (~1500-2500 RPM) and the car should return excellent FE figures for the highway run as well.

Have a safe trip!

Quote:

Originally Posted by tacho9000

Hi sauravdc it is absolutely safe to take your car for the 600km return trip to your hometown. Just do ensure that you don't cross 2500rpm during the journey as your car is still under run-in according to the kms racked up.

...

Excellent advice. I wholeheartedly agree with tacho9000.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

Sorry to reply on your thread!

Feel free, my friend. It's as much your thread as mine. Information is meant to be shared.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

Mate, you can go on a 1000 mile trip with no issues. This engine is built to last. Just drive normally as you would any other car. When I bought my Ertiga I drove it on the ghats to Ooty when it was just 600 kms young. The Multijet is built to last!

Indeed! The Fiat 1.3 MJD is the national engine of India for a reason. Bulletproof reliability and ease of mind.

Just shut your eyes and go for any/all trips planned. The Ritz and it's excellent heart will surprise you with it's performance and reliability. Come back and report to us about your experience, Saurav. I am sure you will be very pleased by the time you reach back home.

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I went to get Sylver registered earlier today. The RTO Charges came to Rs. 45,155/-, and we got our choice of number as well. Number should be registered tomorrow and the number plate will be ready by tomorrow evening. Sylver will get her official registered badge!

That's a superb VFM deal, I must say. I haven't seen the discounts on Ritz diesel return in January 2013 so I have to admit we were lucky they were offered last month. The discounts might return in March so a tip to all prospective Ritz buyers to wait it out till then. You might end up with a mouth-watering deal on the diesel!

Here's the latest readout from the ODO as of today morning. Trip Meter A stands at 290 kms, all driven within the city. Maximum speeds were around 60-ish at about 2000 RPM.

I don't know if the FE meter is faulty, or if that's some really astounding FE figures being returned by Sylver's DDiS heart! Too good to be true!